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Iqbal Theba

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Iqbal Theba
Theba in October 2012
Born (1963-12-20) 20 December 1963 (age 60)
Karachi, Pakistan
OccupationActor
Years active1992–present
Children2

Iqbal Theba (/ˈɪkbɑːl ˈteɪbə/ ICK-ball TAY-bə; born 20 December 1963)[1] is a Pakistani actor, known for his recurring role as Principal Figgins in the show Glee.

Early life

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Theba was born in Karachi, Pakistan.[1] He belongs to the Sindhi speaking Theba tribe.[2]

Theba attended the University of Oklahoma for civil engineering in 1981, but dropped out to pursue an acting career in New York. He has a BS degree in Construction Engineering Management. Theba returned to the University of Oklahoma in 1986 to get a theater degree, and moved to Los Angeles, California upon graduating.[3]

Career

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Theba experienced an early career break with a role on the NBC television pilot Death and Taxes. While the pilot was not picked up to series, it led to a recurring role for Theba on The George Carlin Show. Theba also had brief recurring roles on Married... with Children and ER. He had a recurring role in ABC/CBS comedy sitcom Family Matters. His other credits include appearances on Nip/Tuck, Alias, Two and a Half Men, Bosch, Roseanne, Kitchen Confidential, Chuck, JAG, Arrested Development, Childrens Hospital, The Tick, The West Wing, Friends, Sister Sister, Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, King of the Hill, Weeds, Community, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Theba also appeared in an episode of the sitcom Yes, Dear.

In 2009, 2010, and 2013, Theba guest starred in three episodes of NBC's Community as Gobi Nadir, the father of Abed Nadir (played by Danny Pudi). He also guest starred on CBS' NCIS in 2012.

He also was seen on the eighth episode of the eighth season of Hell's Kitchen, attending the 100th dinner service.

In 2017, Theba voiced Slav in season 2 of Voltron: Legendary Defender. Theba played General Umair Zaman, a Pakistani general who stages a military coup, on the HBO comedy series The Brink.

Glee (2009–15)

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Theba's longest-running role has been as Principal Figgins in the Fox television series Glee. Throughout the course of the six seasons, Theba appeared in 58 episodes.

Although Figgins was initially conceived as white, Theba was cast in the role. He said playing Figgins entails finding "the right mix of someone who is an authority figure but who is also very insecure about his own strengths as a person."[3]

In 2012, Theba appeared on the first and ninth episodes of the second season of The Glee Project.

Personal life

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He is married and has two children: a son, Mikael,[4] and a daughter, Ranya.[5]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1993 Indecent Proposal Citizenship Student
1995 Just Looking VeeJee
1996 Driven Landlord
1998 Sour Grapes Dr. Alagappan
1998 BASEketball Factory Manager
2000 Dancing at the Blue Iguana Clerk
2001 Guardian Dr. Tuchman
2002 Birdseye Puneet Ristani
2006 Blind Dating Mr. Raja
2009 Frankenhood Mr. Samuels
2011 Transformers: Dark of the Moon UN Secretary General
2012 Indian Spider-Man Pappa Patel Short film
Direct-to-video
2012 Playing for Keeps Param
2015 The Escort Richard
2016 The Tiger Hunter General Iqbal
2017 Lego Scooby-Doo! Blowout Beach Bash Dr. Najib Voice, direct-to-video
2017 DriverX Distinguished Man
2018 Green Book Amit
2019 The Illegal Babaji
2020 Useless Humans Kenneth
2022 Land of Gold Gurinder Completed
TBA Reminisce Dr. Morris Post-production

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1993 L.A. Law Chandra Episode: "Vindaloo in the Villows"
1994 Living Single The Pizza Man Episode: "Five Card Stud"
1994–1995 The George Carlin Show Various 6 episodes
1994 The Innocent Doctor #2 Television film
1994 Mad About You Cabbie Episode: "The City"
1995 The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes Sri Lankan Television film
1995 Seinfeld Cabbie Uncredited
Episode: "The Jimmy"
1995–1997 Married... with Children Iqbal 4 episodes
1995–1997 Family Matters Zoohair Bhutto 3 episodes
1995 Abandoned and Deceived The Doctor Television film
1995 Charlie Grace Pakistani Clerk Episode: "Pilot"
1995 Dream On Rudy the Newsstand Guy Episodes: "Try Not to Remember" and "Tie Me Sister My Down, Sport"
1996 Sisters Valentine Episode: "A Little Snag"
1996 Ned and Stacey Doctor Episode: "Gut Feeling"
1996 Can't Hurry Love Cabbie Episode: "The Elizabeth Taylor Episode"
1996 Sister, Sister Dr. Solokian Episodes: "The Volunteers" and "The Piano Lesson"
1996 Yesterday's Target Dr. Patel Television film
1996 The Home Court Noel Episode: "Mike Solomon: Unplugged"
1996 Space: Above and Beyond General Sarij Episode: "Sugar Dirt"
1996 Homeboys in Outer Space Habib Episode: "There's No Space Like Home, or Return of the Jed Eye"
1996 New York Daze The Cabbie Episode: "Eric's Book"
1996 The Tomorrow Man FBI Examiner Television film
1996 Roseanne Dr. Bakshi Episodes: "Hoi Polloi Meets Hoiti Toiti" and "Roseambo"
1997 Ellen Dalai Rajhavaari Episode: "Hello, Dalai"
1997 Caroline in the City Koothrappally the Cabbie Episode: "Caroline and the Critics"
1997–2001 ER Dr. Zagerby / Dr. Zogoiby 4 episodes
1997 Total Security Sangarapillai Episode: "The Never Bending Story"
1997 Everybody Loves Raymond Doctor Sundram Episode: "Golf"
1997 Brooklyn South Omar Rashmid Episode: "Love Hurts"
1998 Fired Up Driver Episode: "Fire and Nice"
1998 Friends Joey's Doctor Episode: "The One Hundredth"
1998 JAG Johnny Marvel Episode: "Wedding Bell Blues"
1998 King of the Hill Dr. Bhudamanjur Voice, episode: "Next of Shin"
1998 Martial Law Raj Patel Episode: "Trackdown"
1999 Malcolm & Eddie Dr. Halim Sahir Episode: "Worst Impressions"
1999 Shasta McNasty Meb Episode: "Adult Education"
2000 The West Wing Indian Ambassador Episode: "Lord John Marbury"
2000 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child East Indian Driver Voice, episode: "The Prince and the Pauper"
2000 The Hughleys Clerk Episode: "Oh Thank Heaven for Seven-Eleven"
2001 The Huntress Edouard Barsamian Episode: "Undercover"
2001 Judging Amy Mr. Pradip Episode: "The Last Word"
2001 Yes, Dear Instructor Episode: "The Ticket"
2001 The Agency Dr. Prabhakar Episode: "Closure"
2001 The Tick Dry Cleaner Episode: "The License"
2002 Alias General Arshad Episode: "Passage: Part 2"
2003 The Division Mohammed Episode: "Hearts & Minds"
2003 Life with Bonnie Iqbal Episode: "Boomerang"
2003 The Lyon's Den Professor Episode: "The Quantum Theory"
2004 Arrested Development Nazhgalia Episode: "Shock and Aww"
2004 Life with Bonnie Deepak Episode: "Father and Son: A Table for Two"
2004 JAG Captain Qamal Samad Episode: "Trojan Horse"
2004 Dr. Vegas Mr. Desai Episode: "Advantage Play"
2004 Joan of Arcadia East Indian Sunglasses Salesman God Episode: "Wealth of Nations"
2004 Girlfriends Dr. Norayan Episode: "When Hearts Attacks"
2005 Eve Bob Episode: "Real Women Have Nerves"
2005 Las Vegas Parviz Silani Episode: "Double Down, Triple Threat"
2005–2006 Kitchen Confidential Iqbal Episodes: "French Fight" and "Teddy Takes Off"
2005 Just Legal Dr. Gupta Episode: "The Limit"
2005 Hot Properties Fareed Episode: "Pilot"
2006 The War at Home Middle-Eastern Man Episode: "The West Palm Beach Story"
2006 Beyond Imran Khan Television film
2007 Weeds Sanjay's Father Episode: "Bill Sussman"
2007 Chuck Peyman Alahi Episode: "Chuck Versus the Wookiee"
2009 Two and a Half Men Don Episode: "I Think You Offended Don"
2009–2010; 2013 Community Gobi Nadir 3 episodes
2009–2015 Glee Principal Figgins 58 episodes
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2010)
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2011)
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2012)
2009 Nip/Tuck Dr. Vijay Paresh Episode: "Ricky Wells"
2010 Ghosts/Aliens Neighbor Television film
2010 Hell's Kitchen Himself (Restaurant Patron) Episode: "9 Chefs Compete: Part 2"
2010 Childrens Hospital Sultan Abdul Aziz Episode: "The Sultan's Finger - LIVE"
2012 NCIS Ramesh Sungupta Episode: "Housekeeping"
2012 The Glee Project Principal Figgins 2 episodes; uncredited
2015 The Brink General Umair Zaman 9 episodes
2016 School of Rock Alex Episode: "We Can Be Heroes, Sort Of"
2017 Jeff & Some Aliens Swami Voice, episode: "Jeff & Some Jeffs"
2017–2018 Voltron: Legendary Defender Slav Voice, 9 episodes
2017 Young & Hungry Mr. Jain Episode: "Young & Hold"
2017 Sigmund and the Sea Monsters Sheriff Bob Episode: "Dibs"
2018 Season and Renae Faraz Television film
2018 America 2.0 Mr. Zanadri Television miniseries
Episode: "Don't Be Scared"
2018 Dream Corp LLC Patient 75 Episode: "Dust Bunnies"
2019 Bosch Chemical Ali Episode: "Salvation Mountain"
2019 The Blacklist Bhavish Ratna Episode: "The Hawaladar (No. 162)"
2020 Messiah Danny Kirmani 4 episodes
2020 Never Have I Ever Uncle Aaravind Episode: "...had to be on my best behavior"
2021 Mira, Royal Detective Detective Gupta Voice, 3 episodes

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
1997 Blade Runner Moraji [citation needed]
2012 Medal of Honor: Warfighter Urdu Fighter [citation needed]
2017 Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Additional Voices [citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Iqbal Theba". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  2. ^ Theba, Iqbal [@iqbaltheba] (23 March 2011). "My forefathers r from Sindh" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2019 – via Twitter. My parents are from Gujrat, India and I was born in Karachi. We speak Urdu and Gujrati at home
  3. ^ a b "Interview with Iqbal Theba aka Principal Figgins". Neal B. in NYC. 4 December 2009. Archived from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  4. ^ @iqbaltheba (5 September 2013). "[Iqbal Theba tweet]" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2015 – via Twitter. HimNhisWife wer sittin in the waiting room wen MeNmyWife wer going in 2 hav r son
  5. ^ Theba, Iqbal [@iqbaltheba] (28 August 2013). "Happy Birthday, Ranya!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2015 – via Twitter. My daughter's name is Ranya
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